


Sunset Wings

by orphan_account



Category: Kirby (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Death, Gen, Meta Knight struggles with his dark streak, Morpho Knight is an empath, Will add more tags as story continues, may get gory at times, weird revenge of meta knight/meta knightmare ultra hybrid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:42:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26607682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After a crushing defeat at the hands of Kirby, an enraged Meta Knight sets off to prove that he is not a failure. However, is winning worth becoming a monster? And he swears he is being haunted by death itself.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 58





	1. Why Have You Come Here Tonight?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic ever, so I welcome constructive criticism! This fanfic is kinda self indulgent, and I'm just writing for the hell of it, so not even I know where the plot is gonna lead tbh. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy :D

The butterfly perched on a tree branch that hung slightly in front of the window to a familiar, spherical house. Ah, of course. It knew this planet all too well. It peered inside the window and noted the small, pink puffball sleeping soundly inside. The butterfly could sense a deep contentment from his soul. Dreamland was known for its fountain of dreams, bringing only warm and happy scenes to the minds of its citizens at night. A twitch from its antenna let the butterfly know that it wasn't sent to watch after Kirby, at least not this time. It was slightly relieved - despite his pure and innocent nature, the child was not one for mercy during his adventures. It honestly felt bad for the inhabitants of this world...it's rare for the insect to describe its job as difficult, but that word would almost be an understatement following around Kirby and his friends once they get to questing.

It opened its brilliant, sunset-colored wings that faintly glowed in the moonlight, stretching them as it prepared for flight. No, Kirby was not where it was supposed to be. The butterfly felt more inclined towards a different power; an unshakable, steely resolve, a desire to prove himself worthy to himself and to the rest of the universe. Was that...the knight? His essence was made undeniably present in the butterfly's soul, overpowering that of almost every other living being in the area. 

-

Meta Knight's wings beat against the cool, night air as he soared across the skies of Popstar, surveying the land from above like he usually did in the days before the invasion he launched. Watching the rolling green hills of his home underneath the clouds never failed to bring peaceful thoughts to his mind, and hell, did he need those peaceful thoughts right now.

He had them. The seven power stars. Now all he needed to do was summon the galactic Nova and make his request.

The knight landed on a particularly large hill that overlooked Dreamland. His favorite one; the one with the tree, perfect for reading or just observing the citizens below. He sat underneath the tree with a troubled sigh, and gazed up at the stars poking through the clouds. He had just come from there - from space, traveling from planet to planet to locate the priceless stars that he felt he desperately needed. Of course, the inhabitants of those planets weren't too happy with the taking of their prized possessions, and tried stopping him with everything they had. It didn't turn out too well for them, though. It wasn't even close. He sliced through their efforts with ease. Most of them were cut down by his holy blade before they were even able to touch him. Just thinking about it made him twitch his wings with eager anticipation; soaring through the air, Galaxia drawn, swinging wildly, yet with deadly precision. The feeling of being unstoppable. It was _exhilarating_. He truly lived for it.

But...the looks on their faces...

He shook his head. Don't think about it, he thought to himself. Meta Knight was no stranger when it comes to taking the life of another. He's been doing it for thousands of years. So why was this particular situation bothering him so deeply? 

Deep down, he knew the answer. But he decided to ignore it. It's time to make his wish. He'd...done too much to turn back now anyway.

Just as the blue puffball was about to stand up, a faint, fluttering orange light caught his eye. 

A butterfly? So late at night? His eyes flickered with curiosity. He held out a gloved hand towards the butterfly, where it landed, and looked at it inquisitively. He doesn't quite recognize the species. The butterfly opens and closes its wings, as if it was getting comfortable on its newfound perch.

As Meta gazed at the butterfly, he felt a small sense of dread. He remembered the stories that he'd heard in his childhood about how seeing a butterfly at night signified an impending death. He wasn't normally the superstitious type, but he could not deny that this butterfly was...strange, to say the least. And given the circumstances, he couldn't help but wonder...had it followed him? Did it know what he had done? 

Or could it be hoping to collect his soul tonight?

He stared into the butterfly's sunset colored wings and felt an odd, heavy sense of calm. It reminded him of sailing over the Orange Ocean. It really was quite beautiful...

-

It could sense the knight's confusion, but it didn't know what to do about it. The butterfly silently stood on the knight's glove. He looked at it with such intensity. 

"Your colors..." murmured the knight. "Incredible..."

If insects could blush, it certainly would have. It was not unused to the beings that it would follow being in awe of its beauty; it was quite the specimen.

"Why have you come here tonight, hm?" said the knight, inspecting the butterfly closer. The butterfly could have asked him the same thing. It could sense that the knight was on the tail end of a mission that seemed important to him. Why return home so close to the end?

"Have you come for me?" 

A dark edge tinted those words that the butterfly wasn't sure it liked. Even if he could hear it's answer, he wouldn't like it. The butterfly could only see snippets of the past in the form of memories of the creatures it landed on; it could not see the future. It had no idea who's soul it would have to guide to the afterlife tonight, only that the knight would be the reason it would have to. Although, judging from the knight's memories, and the strength it can sense emanating from his soul, it could make an educated guess that he was not who it was here for.

However, those memories were tinged with an emotion that was uncharacteristic for the knight. It seems as if his typical determination was tainted, somehow. Was that guilt? Or bloodlust? Whatever it was, it was very faint.

"I'm afraid if that's the case, you have wasted your time," the knight said, almost growling those last few words. The butterfly flapped its wings indignantly. Was that a challenge? It could sense the sheer defiance of those words. How cocky do you have to be to threaten the idea of death itself? The one thing in the universe that is certain for every living being? The absolute nerve...

The butterfly decided that whatever the knight had planned, it wasn't going to get in his way. It fluttered off of the knight's hand, and out of his sight. It'll follow from a distance.

-

Meta Knight stared after the butterfly as it flew away, half angry at even the suggestion of his failure, and half wondering how insane he looked, having spent the last few moments threatening a butterfly. Good thing no one was awake to witness it. No one even knew of his brief stop to this planet before the end of his journey, and no one will. He stood up and snapped his wings open, feeling more motivated than ever to prove the very universe wrong to send an agent of death after him. Giving his wings a couple of warm-up flaps first, he dove off the hill, using that momentum to launch himself into the sky, and a few powerful flaps later, out into space.

Once he was a good distance away from Pop Star, he slowed down and surveyed his surroundings. A small, barren blue planet was all that was nearby. The rest, the empty void of space. Good enough. He took out the seven power stars, and they started to circle around him, almost as if they were inspecting him. The stars then launched out into the distance, speeding away until they were none more than a glimmer against the darkness. And then it appeared. 

The Galactic Nova. 

The megastructure was made of shiny, chrome-like metal colored silver and gold. This one looks like it had seen better days, however. Large swatches of it were rusted and dull. One of the eyes could barely open, and part of the face plate was missing so that you could see the ancient technology ticking away inside. Meta Knight was truly in awe at the presence of this thing, countless questions flooding his mind about how and why it was built.

"READY. ->" intoned the Nova, its voice echoing from all directions, seemingly booming from space itself.

"I WILL GRANT YOU ONE WISH...->"

Shivers ran through Meta Knights wings. This is it. No turning back now. Almost itching with anticipation, he grasped Galaxia in his hand and removed her from the sheath as he carefully chose his next words.

"My one wish is to become stronger..." he said, looking at his glorious blade, deep in thought. "So I wish to fight..."

He brandished his sword with excitement beaming in his eyes.

"The greatest warrior in the galaxy!"

The gears within the Nova whirred loudly as the ancient super computer processed his request. It looked directly at Meta Knight, the motion eliciting a booming *clunk* as the eyes moved. Stars swirled in its deep, purple eyes.

"OK. ->" it said, signaling it's confirmation of the wish.

"YOU WILL NOW FIGHT A WARRIOR WHO WAS SEALED AWAY FOR FEAR HIS POWER WAS TOO GREAT...->"

Sealed away...thought Meta. A foe so powerful that those he terrorized gave up hope to defeat him, instead relying on ancient magic to keep him at bay...forever. What had the warrior done to earn such a fate, and how long he had been subject to his prison? History thoroughly interested the knight, but even he hadn't come across a story anything like this in his long lifetime.

"I WILL NOW SUMMON THIS GREAT WARRIOR ONCE MORE...->" the Nova continued, eyes clanking shut. 

"...3...2...1...GO! ->"

There was a great flash of light as the Nova opened its eyes, summoning a portal from somewhere in the far reaches of the galaxy. Meta Knight had to use a wing to shield his eyes from the blinding light. He could feel and hear pure energy crackling through the vacuum of space, causing a shiver to run up his spine again. And then, silence.

Meta Knight lowered his wing to see that he was floating eye to glowering eye with a mysterious warrior that, to his surprise, looked quite similar to himself. He was a deep magenta hue, with beautiful, lavender feathered wings. Deathly red eyes shone underneath his cross-cut mask that was crowned with gold-tipped horns. Armed with a lance and a shield, the fateful galactic knight looked him over, examining him as an alpha male would to any who dare challenge his authority. Meta Knight gripped Galaxia in his hand, threateningly pointing it at the warrior, his desire to feel his sword tear into the warrior growing stronger by the second. I will not fail again, he thought, holding his gaze.

The galactic knight scoffed silently, a smile creeping across his face that was hidden by his mask. He pointed his lance at his foe to show his acceptance of his challenge and immediately darted off into the darkness of space. Meta Knight followed in hot pursuit.

-

The butterfly shuddered, having suddenly felt a strikingly powerful soul appear right in front of the knight it was tasked to follow. Powerful...and all too familiar. 

Galacta Knight, the Hero of Aeons turned destroyer of worlds. The butterfly had claimed many a soul in the wake of this star warrior, most of them sad to say in vain. Just what the hell is Meta Knight intending to do here?

The magenta puff was once known as the savior of the universe, along with 3 others for defeating and sealing a Lord most dark that threatened to rip apart reality itself. The Dark Lord's worshippers were widespread, once a flourishing galaxy full of magic so advanced that the rest of the universe feared their power. Once the Dark Lord was sealed away, the ancients still feared that his followers may still try to reawaken the cosmic terror again someday. Galacta Knight, however, took it upon himself to ensure that a resurrection would be impossible and decided to...silence that civilization. 

Violently. 

Forever.

The butterfly remembered sorrowfully the thousands of planets that used to be so beautiful, teeming with wildlife and lively villages, reduced to nothing more than a new asteroid belt for their home star. Sure, there were definitely some wicked souls to be found there; those who wanted nothing more than the death of the universe and everyone in it. But with the threat sealed away forever, a chance of redemption should have been offered. The butterfly got around - it knew for a fact that the people of that tribe had it in them to change for the better. They told it themselves as it guided their millions of souls to the afterlife. The few souls who lived only remained so because they left their galaxy to plead to the ancients for help, who ignored their cries. So they stole their power stars, invoked a Galactic Nova, and wished for the warrior to be sealed away for the good of the universe.

The worst part about it was that during the whole ordeal, the butterfly felt so utterly helpless to stop it. Despite being a...deity of some sort, it was all but useless when it came to the affairs of the living. It was just a butterfly, after all. It remembered how over the years, the aura of the galactic nightmare's soul shifted from one of chivalry and duty to the cosmos, to the desire to show off his power, and...

_Was that guilt? Or bloodlust?_

The butterfly went cold. It fluttered after Meta Knight and Galacta Knight to watch over their battle, a pit of dread in its stomach.


	2. The Fateful Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight begins.

Meta Knight followed the magenta warrior to the small blue planet that he had spotted earlier. As they neared its surface, Galacta Knight glanced over his shoulder. Meta Knight met his eyes, glaring intently. Was he expecting him to make the first move? Meta Knight readied his blade; then he shall give him one. With a quick swing of his arm, a white hot beam of energy launched out of his sword, hurtling straight towards the other knight. Galacta quickly whipped around and retaliated with a sword beam of his own. The two beams of energy collided, resulting in an explosion. Meta Knight's heart started pounding. The battle finally begins.

Galacta Knight landed on the ground and gripped his shield, looking up. He couldn't see anything through the smoke, so he thought it best to defend. As he expected, the bat-winged knight came zipping through the smoke, sword raised. He braced himself to bash the sword away. 

Noting this, Meta Knight chuckled. Folding his wings into his cape, he threw the fabric over himself, disappearing seemingly into thin air. 

Galacta Knight let out a surprised grunt at this. Before he even had time to think about his next step, he felt a stinging pain in his left side, along with the wetness of blood. Hissing, he quickly turned around and bashed Meta with his shield, metal meeting metal. 

The dark knight was knocked backwards, wings flapping rapidly to help him regain his balance. However, before he could, he was knocked around by several lance swings to the face. It wasn't sharp at all, but the galactic warrior made sure to put power behind every single swing. He raised his blade, blocking the last blow and repaid him with a few of his own. 

The final swing sent the pink knight flying through the air, but he managed to quickly right himself and hovered far above the ground. He lifted his lance up against the dark sky as light began to collect at the tip, and looked down for his target.

Meta Knight barely had time to process what was happening before a streak of light barreled straight towards his face. He leapt out of the way, the light beam utterly destroying the spot of rock he was just standing on. The beam moved towards him, leaving a path of molten rock in its path. The blue knight snapped his wings open and took to the air, the beam of light still hot on his trail. Flying in a wide circle, he avoided the beam until it eventually fizzled out. Meta Knight made a beeline towards the warrior and unleashed a barrage of attacks, his sword merely a blur to the pink one. 

Galacta Knight could do nothing but guard for now. The blue bat was much faster than him for sure, but was he stronger? The ancient one took his lance and jammed it into one of the hooks that lined the edge of Galaxia, effectively stopping Meta from continuing his assault. As their weapons locked, so did their eyes. 

Meta Knight was panting from the effort, but he couldn't help but give a cocky smile underneath his mask, feeling pleased that he was giving the "greatest warrior in the galaxy" a bit of trouble. Galacta Knight's eyes glimmered with a similar arrogance. He shoved his lance into the sword, sending him away and upwards. Meta Knight flipped himself upright and landed a downward slash right between the horns of Galacta Knight's mask and immediately bounced back, avoiding an incoming swing from the lance. He used the momentum from that bounce to launch himself into a spin, turning into nothing more than a gold and blue blur. He then rammed himself into the other, sending him careening into a nearby rock face.

Galacta Knight pulled himself out of the rock, wincing from a sharp pain in his shoulder, absolutely _pissed_. He ruffled his feathers, growling, and launched himself at the knight with a shout, lance aimed straight for the eyes. 

Meta Knight, a bit disoriented from the spin attack, saw a streak of magenta and lavender coming directly towards him. He tried to react quickly, but his wings flapped out of sync for just an instant too long. By the time he got it together, the pointed end of the lance struck the top left corner of his visor, snapping that quadrant of the mask clean off. It landed on the rocky ground with a clang. His left eye was now exposed, and blood leaked from where the lance grazed him.

He landed sloppily on the ground, where Galacta Knight was waiting for him. He sent him flying backwards with a strong blow from his lance and flew after him.

_Keep it together_ , thought Meta Knight, rage building in his mind. He landed on his left wing and a wave of pain shot through his body, causing him to shout out a few choice words. When he tried to drag himself to his feet, all he could feel was his body screaming for him to stop. A magenta and white figure appeared in his hazy vision. He thought he could hear him laughing to himself. Galacta Knight kicked Meta over, rolling him to his back.

"P̵a̵t̶h̸e̶t̸i̵c̵," spat Galacta. His voice was raspy, not having been used in who knows how many million years. He slammed his foot down onto Meta Knight's chest, staring him directly in the eye.

"Y̶o̷u̷'̷v̸e̵ ̷c̴o̸m̶e̶ ̷h̷e̵r̷e̵ ̷t̷o̷ ̵p̶r̵o̷v̶e̷ ̸y̷o̶u̴r̶ ̷p̶o̸w̵e̷r̴," he said, raising his lance above his head. The point shined in Meta Knight's eyes. "A̴n̷d̴ ̴n̸o̷w̴ ̴y̸o̷u̴ ̶s̶h̴a̵l̷l̵ ̴p̸e̷r̶i̵s̷h̵ ̸l̴i̸k̷e̷ ̶t̸h̸e̷ ̵o̶t̷h̴e̵r̸s̶...!"

Meta Knight didn't understand a single word of what he just said; he must be speaking the language of the ancients. Despite not knowing the language too well, he still got the message loud and clear. However, he did not agree. As the lance came swinging down, he reacted quickly and knocked the weapon off course using his sword. It grazed his temple and cracked the ground next to him.

"No..." he panted. He kicked the galactic warrior off of him and jumped back. He gritted his teeth and raised his sword above his head.

"I will not fail!" he shouted, plunging it into the ground. The ground cracked and the air rumbled as a massive tornado was sent hurtling towards his opponent who was trying to escape, but the raging winds proved to be too strong. The tornado whipped him around like a ragdoll, slamming him into another large rock. As he fell to the ground, instead of meeting a rock-hard surface, he met the sting of an upward slashing blade. And another. And another, before he was slammed right back into the rock he just fell from. Finally, he felt the ground underneath him. Dragging himself to his feet, he reached for his lance- wait a minute. Where was his lance? 

Before he could even look around to spot it, he saw the dark knight come barreling towards him, fury and excitement burning in his eyes. He unleashed his attacks, but instead of a wild flurry of slashes, each blow was slow, heavy, and calculated.

_Stop!_ a voice said in the back of his mind.

But he didn't. 

_He is unarmed!_ Stop! the voice continued. 

But he didn't. With each hit that landed, his heart beat faster, his head felt lighter, and his amusement grew. He laughed to himself. 

"Come on!" he shouted at Galacta. "Is that all you got?" The pink knight responded by bashing with his shield, but Meta Knight ruthlessly knocked it away.

"Where is that confidence from before, 'great warrior'?" Meta Knight taunted, continuing his attacks. He bashed the pink knight backwards, landing him on his back. Galacta coughed, the impact knocking all the air out of his lungs. His efforts to sit up were met with a blade being pushed into his mask, threatening to slice straight through.

_I've defeated him. He can't do anything else. He can't even defend himself,_ his rational side thought. But all Meta Knight longed for was the finish. He looked at Galacta Knight and swore he saw his eyes flash with fear. That look, in his eyes...he knew he already won. He should put away his weapon and leave. He knew he should.

But he didn't. 

He plunged Galaxia through the defeated warriors mask, shattering it, and drove the blade through his chest.

Galacta Knight's eyes widened with shock as he felt the sword tear through his insides; those spiked edges were truly brutal. He trembled in agonizing pain, choking back a scream. He refused to show how much that hurt him. Instead he looked straight into the eyes of the victor.

"I̸t̵ ̸t̴a̵k̵e̷s̶ ̵a̴ ̶t̵r̷u̸e̴ ̷m̵o̴n̶s̷t̸e̶r̴ ̶t̸o̴ ̵b̴e̵ ̵a̷b̵l̷e̷ ̷t̵o̵ ̷d̷e̸f̷e̷a̴t̸ ̴o̵n̵e̴ ̸a̷s̴ ̷w̶r̶e̶t̸c̸h̴e̶d̸ ̵a̷s̷ ̸m̸e̴.̶.̵.̸" he sputtered through the blood leaking into his throat. He coughed, and it splattered onto the other knight's glove. He smiled, slowly, knowing the end was coming soon. 

"C̴o̷n̷g̵r̶a̴t̴u̸l̸a̷t̵i̵o̶n̷s̷.̵"

Meta Knight recognized one word from that sentence. As he withdrew his sword from the knight's chest, he caught his golden reflection in the shining blade. He realized with horror that his eyes were the same deathly shade of red as the one he just defeated.

_M̶o̴n̶s̷t̸e̶r̴..._

At that thought, Galacta Knight violently exploded into a white flash of light as all of his innate power unleashed from his body at once in his death. Meta Knight got caught in the blast, and was sent tumbling backwards with such force that he smashed clear through a large rock and landed in a pile of rubble. He tried to get up, using his sword to steady himself, but as he came down from the high of battle, he realized he was exhausted and in so much pain that he couldn't take another step. He tried to raise his wings and take flight, but his left wing was completely out of commission. He feebly flapped his right wing. He needed to get home. His journey was over. He won. But...

_Have I become a monster?_

He collapsed into the pile of rocks, his energy completely depleted. The starry sky became blurry, the galaxy merely a streak of purple on a black canvas. He could also see an orange blur growing larger in his vision. Wait - orange? The butterfly? Was he dying? Unable to stay conscious for any longer, he closed his eyes, finally giving into his body's demand for rest.

-

The butterfly landed between the knight's eyes and folded its wings.

"Meta..." it spoke.

No response.

"Meta Knight..." it said a bit more insistently.

Still nothing.

For the butterfly, in its line of work, that was actually a good sign. That means Meta Knight could not hear it, which in turn means that he wasn't dead. His soul, however, burned brightly and threatened to spill out of him at any moment. He came pretty close. And it could sense a deep turmoil within him. The butterfly didn't have to look into his soul to know why; he had broken his usually chivalrous battle code, killed an opponent who could not defend themselves, and he couldn't understand why. It felt a streak of pity for the knight. Oh, if only he were dead...it wanted so badly to say "It's going to be alright. You can't hurt anyone anymore. You don't have to fear yourself."

It could sense another presence with the knight too; a faint, warm, inviting glow alongside the soul of the knight. The ever-loyal Galaxia. Not quite alive, but she still had a presence. Her glow began to gently intensify. She was healing him, slowly. He was going to be alright.

But that pit of dread still remained inside the butterfly.

That same feeling he sensed inside of Galacta Knight all those eons ago...he could sense it inside of the knight. He had a dark streak within him, and from what it witnessed earlier, he struggles to control it. But on top of that, he was strong enough to defeat Galacta Knight. And in such an underhanded way, where he was completely defenseless...The butterfly couldn't help but feel that the very fact that he was still alive was a threat to the universe itself.

It fluttered off of the knight, having no reason to be there any longer. There was a soul to go collect.

It flew over the pile of rocks only to see the Galactic Nova coming in quick on the horizon, engines blazing. It noted Galacta Knight's...fragments scattered throughout the area. What a mess. It flew up to one of the pieces and landed on it.

But before it could say or do anything, the Nova's voice boomed throughout the planet.

"GREAT STAR WARRIOR," it intoned. "YOU HAVE BEEN DEFEATED. I WILL NOW HONOR THE WISH OF [NULL]...->"

"YOU SHALL NOW RETURN TO YOUR PRISON. ->"

Galacta Knight's remains began to glow and levitate. Wait, the butterfly thought. He's definitely dead. Couldn't the machine sense he was dead? You can't do that. The ancients couldn't have that kind of technology...could they?

The pieces zoomed together, quickly coalescing into the ancient warrior who now hung limp in the air. He looked as if he was never even in a fight to begin with. The butterfly heard something from behind it, and quickly dodged as his lance flew through the air, reuniting with its master. A pink crystal formed around him as a star shaped portal opened in the sky. 

_Wait, wait, wait!_ That soul was for the butterfly to collect! It sped towards the portal as the crystal rose to enter it.

"...3...2...1...GO! ->"

And at that, the crystal was sent through the portal. The butterfly slipped through just as it closed.

The Nova closed its eyes as the machinery inside stop ticking. It now lays dormant, having completed its wish, and lies in wait for the next summoning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't obvious, I used that weird font to indicate that whatever language Galacta was speaking had been lost to time long ago, and no one alive today would be able to understand him. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I kinda enjoyed writing the fight scene :D


	3. Trapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Galacta Knight returns to his prison. However, something isn't quite right...

_ Glowing yellow eyes flickered open against the darkness. At least, he thought he opened them. Whether his eyes were open or not, the darkness was still the same. Where was he? He tried to look around, but he couldn't move. He felt the warmth of his sword by his side, and that's it. Nothing else. There was no sound, no visual. He tried to move his arms, but they were firmly pinned to his side. He couldn't even wiggle them. He tried again and again. No luck. Confusion and panic rising, he shouted "Someone! Is anyone there?" but no sound came out, and he wasn't sure if his lips even moved at all.  _

_ The only stimulation that he had were his thoughts, and he wasn't too sure that he liked that. The word "monster" echoed around in his mind, and that's all he could remember. Why is that the only thing he could remember? Just what did he do to end up here? "Anyone!" he tried again. "Captain? Sailor?" he knew it was a lost cause, but his crew always had a knack for getting him out of trouble (which he got into a lot, admittedly). He sighed, deciding that ultimately the only thing he could do at the moment is wait. As soon as he accepted defeat, there was a bright flash of light from below him. He could feel himself lowering down into the light, and he gradually regained the movement of his limbs. The instant he could, he drew his weapon in preparation for what he was about to face. The light faded, and he could hear machinery clunking loudly behind him.  _

_ In front of him, he only saw a beautiful orange butterfly. _

_ - _

Meta Knight gasped as his eyes shot open. That damn butterfly...it's appearing even in his dreams.

He sat up, a little too quickly at that. His head pounded with the effort. Where was he again? It's dark...the Halberd? No...He focused his blurry eyes and realized he was still on the blue planet. He immediately remembered the fight he'd just had, particularly the ending. Quickly, he took out Galaxia and looked into his eyes in her mirror-like reflection. Yellow...as they always were. Perhaps he'd only imagined what he saw earlier, he thought to himself. However, that brought him little comfort. Meta Knight stood up, once again too quickly. He groaned as he held his head, a bit surprised to feel his bare skin as opposed to his mask that had apparently shattered in the explosion. His entire body was extremely sore. He unfolded his wings, wincing a little as his left one came open. It wasn't completely broken anymore, thanks to Galaxia, but it would definitely still hurt to fly on. No matter; he could treat it properly once he got home.  _ Thank you, _ he thought in gratitude to his loyal blade. He felt a comforting presence in response.

He climbed out of the pile of rubble and examined the surrounding area. The Nova was incredibly close to the planet, sticking halfway above the horizon, faintly illuminated by a distant star. Its eyes were closed and it was completely silent and still. There was a small crater at the site where Galacta Knight had died, burnt black streaks spreading out from it's center, but there seemed to be no sign of the warrior himself. 

He remembered with a pang of guilt his final moments. The shock in his eyes. How his sword shook as the warrior trembled. His gentle smile, as blood dribbled out of his mouth. That was the strangest moment of them all for him; did he want to die? 

Maybe I did him a favor, he thought, barely convincing himself that what he just did could be considered a 'favor'. But still, who knows how long he's been sealed away. Meta Knight once again found himself wondering what the warrior had done to deserve a fate like that. Must've been something terrible...and what are the implications of him being able to defeat a nightmare like that?

Deciding not to dwell on it much further, he spread his wings and made his way back to planet Pop Star, his thoughts weighing heavy in his mind.

-

Darkness surrounded the butterfly. Pure darkness. It's orange glow was the only thing that broke through it.  _ Where was Galacta Knight _ , it thought. It couldn't see a damned thing. It wandered aimlessly in the dark until it's light illuminated a smooth pink surface. There! It landed on the crystal, searching for any trace of the knight, not being able to see much of anything else. It couldn't sense a thing. That was strange...whether alive or dead, the butterfly would usually be able to feel  _ something _ . Unable to think of anything else to do, it simply called out his name, as it did to all lost spirits.

"Galacta Knight," it projected in his ancient language.

"What...where am I..." he mumbled after a few quiet seconds, seemingly only half conscious. A moment passed before his eyes slowly blinked open, taking in his surroundings (or lack thereof).

"N-no..." he breathed, his voice trembling. "No...no, no, no! Why am I back  _ here _ ?"

The knight's voice was wracked with despair and anger. The butterfly stood still and silent, unsure if he was aware of its presence. So it would seem as if he really was alive. The ancients had the power to apparently resurrect the dead, if so desired from a wish. Those desperate ones in the past must have wished for him to be sealed away, forever, in spite of death in order to punish him for his crimes. Cursed for eternity to outlive the universe in isolation. Even if he died, the butterfly wasn't sure if it could guide his soul to the afterlife through the crystal.

"Shameful, that." it mused out loud to itself. "Despite all that you've done, I still pity you."

Galacta Knight's troubled breathing paused. 

"Who's there?"

The butterfly froze in shock. "You can hear me?"

"...You are speaking, are you not?" the knight asked, puzzled.

The butterfly crawled over the surface of the crystal until it came in front of a pair of glowing red eyes. They seemed to be empty, emotionless. Only the dead could hear it speak, and there were no exceptions as far as it knew. So, the ancients hadn't perfected resurrection after all...but this was still very odd. He still seemed to be in control of his body...

"You're a strange one...who are you?" asked the knight. "Were you the one who brought me back to this gods-forsaken place?" he continued, his voice beginning to raise. "I died. I know I did," he said through clenched teeth. "He...killed me, the bat bastard..." His voice trailed off as he remembered his agonizing last moments, and he shuddered as he remembered the feeling of a sword digging around his insides. "I felt myself slipping away. Everything went dark and I finally felt peace, but now..." His voice died off once again. The butterfly listened to his venting with great interest. It's never had the opportunity to get so close to the knight before. It wanted so desperately to peek into the memories embedded into his soul, to feel what the knight has felt and to cast its judgment. Unfortunately, all it had were his words to go by to get a feel for him.

"No, I didn't bring you here," the butterfly stated. "The Nova did. I only followed."

"The Nova," scoffed Galacta Knight. "Ironic, isn't it. The ancients' technology, used against  _ me _ . I was their champion, but now, I'm their prisoner."

The butterfly spread and opened its wings thoughtfully. It did suppose it was ironic, morbidly humorous in a way. "Ironic, and a well deserved punishment, I might add. I know well who you are, Galacta Knight," it said, amused.

The red eyes blinked as he clearly heard his name spoken to him, probably for the first time in hundreds of millions years. Any emotion that may have been present in his eyes was not present to the butterfly. 

"You still haven't answered my first question, butterfly. Who are you? What is your name?" he demanded to know. There was a tinge of impatience in his voice. The butterfly crawled absentmindedly, thinking about its next words.

"I...go by many names," it started. It folded and unfolded its wings, deep in thought. "Some call me death, but I don't think that's accurate at all. I don't cause death, but I appear wherever it is, however..." It turned around, pacing in the opposite direction. "Others call me reaper. I find that to better represent what I am. I'm also called the judge. That is also true..." 

Its words trailed off as it crawled its way back in front of Galacta Knight's eyes. "Point is, who I am doesn't matter. What's far more important is what I do."

Galacta Knight blinked. "So you are an agent of death."

"I prefer an agent of the afterlife," the butterfly corrected. "I visit those who have died and decide based on their memories where their souls will go."

"As in heaven or hell?" inquired the knight, intrigued.

"It's...a bit more complex than that. An eternity of suffering is not justified for temporary crimes, no matter how heinous. There is a hell, but it is not permanent. You serve your sentence, then move on to rest once you have...thoroughly understood the suffering you've caused."

"So you are here, to cast your judgement, because I am dead."

The knight fell silent. He certainly didn't feel very dead, but he did suppose he wouldn't know what being dead feels like. Those last words also got to him, too. The punishment he's suffered so far wasn't even the last of what he had yet to face. And after what he's done...he felt sick to his stomach. The worst part of it is that he knew that he would deserve every single minute. He clenched his fists.

"Well?" he asked, his voice low. 

"Hm?"

"I'm ready to accept my punishment. That's what you're here for, isn't it?" Galacta said, irritated. "I've had eons to reflect on what I've done. I knew there would be consequences, and I did it anyway." The more he spoke, the more his voice shook. "I did it anyway," he repeated. "I just couldn't s-stop…!"

The butterfly so desperately wanted to know what Galacta was feeling right now. Did he truly understand the atrocities he committed, or did he just want to get out of his prison? Words like these weren't uncommon to the souls he met, especially those who have done terrible things, but the feelings behind them were crucial in its judgement. It beat its wings in frustration. 

"Calm yourself," it commanded. "No use getting worked up right now. You think if I could've judged you, I wouldn't have done so already? I can't reach you through this crystal."

Galacta Knight looked down, angry and a little embarrassed at his outburst. "Forgive me. It's been a while since I've last spoken to anybody...who hasn't killed me, at least."

They sat in silence for a little bit, unsure what to do next. Of course, Galacta Knight wasn't able to do anything but talk inside the crystal, but the butterfly was at a loss. His soul was trapped inside that crystal, and whatever ancient technology that conjured it made absolutely sure that nothing, not even spiritual energy, could get in or out. Without its ability to sense emotions, it felt like it was floundering in the wind speaking to the knight. Convinced it was out of options, it lifted off of the crystal, and prepared to fly away into the darkness. 

"Wait," breathed Galacta Knight. The butterfly paused, waiting to hear what he had to say next, but only more silence followed. He didn't think the butterfly would actually stop...

"...Don't...leave me here, alone..." he finished, quietly. He absolutely  _ hated _ how pathetic that sounded, like a small child afraid of the dark, but the words came out before he could even think about them. After having company after so many years in isolation, it terrified him to think that now he was just trapped here, actually for eternity this time now that he was dead and could not die again. He felt as if the heat death of the universe itself could destroy the crystal, but his soul would still be lost and confined to this plane.

The butterfly didn't need its powers to sense the emotion coming from those words. That was pure desperation right there. It understood, however. He'd just been told that he was dead and could not access the afterlife. That would be horrifying for anyone to hear, especially one as familiar with loneliness as this knight. It began to wonder if he had friends and family that he missed dearly, once again yearning to get a peek into his memories. Curse its empathetic heart...It turned around to face the knight and looked him in the eyes.

"I promise, I will be right back."

It hadn't intended on coming back right away, initially planning to return to Meta Knight where it was originally drawn to. However, it did suppose that it couldn't just leave Galacta there, knowing he's dead. It was responsible for  _ all _ souls, after all. Maybe if it could get an idea of its surroundings, it could help to figure out what to do next. It tore its gaze away from the knight's still eerily emotionless eyes, and fluttered into the dark.


	4. Returning Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a hard battle, Meta Knight finally returns home and is greeted by a few friends.

Meta Knight began to feel relief swell within him as the familiar shape of planet Popstar came into view. All he wanted to do was jump into his bed and get some much needed rest. He doesn't think he's actually had a proper night's sleep ever since Kirby sank the Halberd into the ocean on the same evening he decided to leave for his journey. When was that? Just how many days have passed since he left? Couldn't have been more than a week at most, he felt. Hard to keep track on 8 different planets. He slowed down as he entered the atmosphere, and realized to his dismay that since he betrayed Dedede as his knight and got his airship destroyed as a result, he didn't have anywhere to stay. He landed on the hill that he left from before, flopped down onto his back, and held his forehead as it started to pound with exhaustion.

"Agh, _mierda_ ," he groaned. He wondered how his crew fared after they evacuated. Were they safe? Did they have somewhere to stay? Especially Vul, the old bird basically lived on that ship...Meta Knight mentally kicked himself as he realized he hadn't even considered those things before acting so rashly out of anger and leaving everyone behind. _Do as you wish_ , he recalled saying. _You are all about to perish._

_I'm sorry..._

As his mind trailed to the battle with Kirby, he realized with a start that his mask was missing. He quickly wrapped his cape around himself. It made him feel a little more secure, but he still felt exposed. He heard soft footsteps coming up behind him and sighed, mentally preparing himself for what may happen, but too tired to actually do anything about it.

"S-sir Meta Knight?!"

Meta Knight stood up. "Sailor Dee..." he breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been the last to evacuate, so if Sailor Dee had made it, that was a good sign his crew was alright.

"Oh, Sir Meta Knight!" the dee cried, nearly throwing himself at the knight in an embrace. "I just knew you'd be here! I knew that was you I saw flying through the sky!" The knight grunted in pain as he was tackled backwards, still very sore. His annoyance, however, was overshadowed with his joy. Oh, how he missed his crew...

"We...we th-thought you had g-gone down with the ship...but you made it..." the waddle dee stuttered, his eyes filling with tears. Smiling softly underneath his cape, he placed a gloved hand on his head. "Aye, I escaped just before it hit the water," he said gently, in an attempt to comfort the emotional dee. "I'm alright...and I'm glad to see you are as well." 

"META KNIGHT!" 

He heard a shout and furious flapping coming from the distance. Vul...had everyone come to greet him? Captain Vul came barreling over the horizon, holding one of Meta's masks in his talons. He tossed it at him and Meta Knight caught it, giving him a thankful look as he promptly put it on. 

"Where the hell have ya been, blueberry? You look like shit!" Vul cackled, glancing over the knight's wounds and tattered cape. "It's good to see you too, Captain," he said dryly, choosing to ignore the nickname that Vul had just called him. Always so rash, that bird...

"And I..."

Meta paused for a second. What could he possibly tell his second in command? That he foolishly left on impulse? He felt his cheeks burning behind his mask. 

"I badly damaged my wings trying to escape, and washed up on a remote island somewhere. I managed to survive until they healed up enough for me to fly back..." That was a terrible lie, but he hoped they would buy it. "What became of the rest of the crew?" he quickly added, hoping to not give them enough time to think about it.

Vul landed on the ground, standing at attention. "Everyone evacuated safely, sir. I was able to fly everyone to the shore. No casualties, though Axe, Javelin, Mace, and Trident got roughed up pretty bad by Kirby. However, they should recover just fine," he reported. 

Meta Knight nodded. He didn't question it, and that was good enough for him. "Very good. Thank you."

They continued chatting on the hill with him, happy to have reunited with their beloved leader and friend. Meta Knight had learned that he'd been gone for a few weeks, quite a bit longer than he expected. In the days after the crash, they had managed to remove the Halberd from the ocean ("Through the work of a damn miracle," Vul had put it) and they searched the wreckage for him, only finding a broken mask as a result. Since then, they've been working on repairs, and while they were able to fix most of the water damage, the ship definitely won't be flying again for a long while. 

"Well then, come on! Let's go take a look at it. And get you to your quarters, you look like you need a well deserved rest," Vul finished, preparing to take off in flight. Meta Knight nodded wearily, picking up Sailor Dee and spreading his own wings as well. The flight to the Halberd was not that long or difficult, but he felt as if his body was threatening to shut down on him again at any moment. He regretted not asking Vul to carry Sailor Dee, but his loyal assistant seemed quite happy flying in the arms of his dear leader. He could bear with it a little while longer.

_It's the least I could do, after failing and lying to you._

The remains of the Halberd came into view, the outside lined with scaffolding. The sun was setting, so the crew tasked with fixing the outside was heading in for the night. He felt pleased that things didn't completely fall apart in his absence; they're still working like they're supposed to. They had completely failed in their conquest, and they were still working hard. It reminded him fondly of when they first started building the Halberd from the ground up, when they had nothing but their determination and his encouragement. Pride swelled in his chest. Why did he leave? He had all he needed right here.

They landed at the entrance. Meta Knight gently set down Sailor Dee and found that he lacked the energy to turn his wings back into his cape. He resigned to letting them trail on the ground behind him. All he wanted to do was get to his quarters and go to sleep...

"Thank you sir," Sailor Dee mumbled as he stretched his stubby arms above his head in a way that would suggest a yawn. "Today was a long day and I'm exhausted...not sure I'd have made the trek back..."

"Tell me about it," agreed Meta Knight. His eyes stung with tiredness every time he blinked and his wings, especially the left, ached. Captain Vul and the dee walked him to his quarters as they told him about their day and what still needed to be done to the ship. They gestured around to the various crew members finishing up their tasks for the day, explaining what they were doing and such. He nodded and gave half-hearted responses to indicate that he was listening, but he only had one thing on his mind right now. 

"Alright, you're dismissed. I'll be in my quarters for the remainder of the night. If there's an emergency, you know where to find me..." he said as he plopped on his bed face down, wings haphazardly splayed, not even bothering to take off his armor or close the door.

"But sir, your injuries-"

"Tomorrow..." Meta Knight grumbled softly. Almost as soon as he spoke the word, Vul and Sailor Dee heard soft snores coming from the knight, indicating that he was fast asleep. They gave each other a slightly concerned look as they gently shut the door behind them, and turned in for the night themselves. 

-

_Darkness once again._

_He could feel his heart pounding with fear and excitement, but he wasn't quite sure from what. Galaxia was firmly grasped in his hand, dripping with blood. But there was nothing left around him, not even corpses. Where did this blood come from?_

_He looked around, still seeing nothing, and once again, he could not move his body. But, he felt something small crawling on his back, and he felt all of the stress and tension sap from him. He looked down to see that there was a bloody hole in his chest, and looked at the dripping wet blade again. Then he heard a voice as his vision filled with a brilliant orange light._

Rest now...

_An overwhelming calmness overtook him as he fell into a dreamless sleep._

-

Meta Knight blinked his eyes open to darkness. No, no...he was so tired of the dark. And the butterfly on his back...The butterfly! He quickly sat up, sword in hand, panicking, before he realized he was just lying face down on his bed. He took in his surroundings, noting that he was just in the Halberd. It was still dark outside, but the moon shone brightly through the window, casting a gentle light over the room. He let out a deep sigh. Even in his sleep, the images of what he had done to that mysterious warrior still haunted him. The picture was fresh in his mind, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what made HIM different from the countless others that he'd cut down in the name of Dreamland or the Galaxy Soldier Army.

Confident (and a little disappointed) that he was not going to get back to sleep anytime soon, he got out of bed. Carefully peeking out the door as to make sure no one was out and about, he slipped out into the hall, gently closing it behind him. He needed to move around for a bit; perhaps a quick flight would help clear his mind and tire him out a little, so he could get back to sleep. Almost as soon as he was outside, he spread his still slightly sore wings and took to the air. They really do heal quite quickly, especially with help from Galaxia. Spotting that familiar hill once again, he landed with a sigh, and sat underneath the tree. 

"Why do I always find myself here, in this spot..." he wondered aloud. The hill was the highest vantage point in the land, and offered an amazing view. Meta felt most comfortable in the air, where he was above everyone and everything, able to safely observe from a distance. He trailed his gaze across the horizon, taking in Dreamland in all of its glory, and let his mind wander. Everything that happened after the Halberd went down was hazy in his mind; he'd been so clouded by anger. The stress of losing the invasion, his ship, and his crew as they evacuated had sent him teetering on the edge of a break. He remembered looking outside the front of the ship, the ocean getting closer and closer, his anger building. It didn't help that Kirby was rapidly approaching, either. That day, he saw Kirby as nothing more than the reason things went so horribly wrong. He remembered throwing the young puff a sword and duelling him; if the invasion was lost, and the ship was going down, he might as well take that pink nuisance down with it, right? But then, he remembered his mask shattering into pieces after he'd been caught off guard. And then he...broke. After that, everything had just been a red blur until the instant he plunged his sword into that knight's chest. He'd lost control, and that scared him, but the thing that scared him even more...

Was that he enjoyed it. 

He knew it was wrong, and yet, he did it anyway for no reason besides the fact that it felt good. He removed Galaxia from her sheath and stared remorsefully into his reflection. 

"Some knight I am..." he mumbled to himself. He saw Galaxia shine, reassuringly. That brought him a little comfort. She'd stay by his side, no matter what; she chose him, after all. The holy blade couldn't possibly pick someone who had evil in their heart, could she? He absentmindedly polished her with his glove.

_Is that what I am? Evil?_

He paused. Did he just hear something?

He didn't dare to move. Whatever was just moving had stopped, but he could sense a presence. That must mean...

"Meta?" said an apprehensive voice. Oh.

He stood, slowly, and turned around with his sword in hand.

"Kirby." He gripped the hilt of his blade a little bit tighter. 

"W-wait! I didn't come here to fight!" Kirby stammered as the razor sharp tip of a sword was swiftly thrusted into his face. He fell backwards as he attempted to avoid it, the sword stopping mere millimeters away from contact.

Meta Knight held the blade steady. He had the high ground, and the pink puff came empty-handed; how foolish. It would be so easy right now, to get his revenge, to retaliate against the one who'd been the cause of his _failure._ He glared into Kirby's eyes, almost wanting to see any sign of fear, or anger, or anything that may prompt him to strike, but all he was met with was a look of pure concern. Kirby had a big heart; everyone knew that. Of course he would only be concerned. For some reason, the pure, innocent look in Kirby's eyes only irritated the knight even further. He had all this anger and yet...he couldn't possibly strike him here. His wings ruffled with frustration as he lowered his weapon. Kirby took that as his cue to continue.

"I...don't wanna fight," he repeated more confidently now that he wasn't being threatened. Now as for why he was here, not even the pink puffball knew. All he knew was that he saw Meta flying through the sky after he'd been missing for so long, and he just _had_ to talk to him, he just _had_ to say _something._ He'd hoped to find the right words as he ran over here as fast as he could, but words have never been Kirby's strong suit. 

"I missed you!" Gah, no, not that! The words came out faster than he could stop them.

Kirby half expected Meta Knight to hit him right then and there, knowing how the knight responded to even the shallowest gestures of affection, but the impact never came. 

"You...missed me?" The masked swordsman instead sheathed his weapon and lowered his wings, his defenses utterly shattered by just how unexpected those words were. Unexpected, and so earnestly spoken. He wanted so badly to be angry with Kirby, but he knew he had no logical reason to. The young star warrior was a Dreamlander through and through. He'd defend the lands to his very last breath if he ever had to, even against someone he looked up to. Meta Knight's demeanor softened as guilt began to replace the anger he felt.

What had he put this poor child through?

"You...hardly know me, and I tried to kill you." he wrapped his cape around him as he spoke, as if that could cover up any emotion that threatened to come out through his voice. "You should be scared."

"Should I?" questioned Kirby, standing to his feet. "Are you gonna try and kill me, right now?" he pressed, taking a step closer to the knight.

His wings twitched underneath his cape. Challenging him in this situation? Surely he knew better. "Incredibly bold step for being so very unprepared." Meta Knight scoffed, turning his back to the young star warrior. "I'd call it brave, if you weren't so foolish. I almost attacked you on sight, young one," scolded the knight. He cast his gaze downwards at the land below. 

Kirby puffed up a bit at being called foolish. "If I brought a sword, we woulda fought, and you know it!" retorted Kirby. Meta Knight shrugged. "Fair," he simply agreed. The pink puff padded up next to the knight with no hesitation and sat down, taking in the view of Dreamland underneath them. The sun wasn't quite visible yet, but the sky was beginning to turn a pinkish orange as the day broke, turning the clouds a beautiful lavender hue. No wonder why Meta's always up here, he mused. This scene was breathtaking, especially from so high up. He looked up at his former rival, who was staring wistfully into the distance.

"See, this is what I meant when I said I missed you!" Kirby suddenly said, breaking the silence and causing Meta Knight to jump a little. He cleared his throat in slight embarrassment before he spoke.

"I fail to see what you mean," he said, raising an eyebrow in confusion, although it couldn't be seen through his mask. "I don't even think we've properly spoken outside of battle before."

"Exactly! Isn't this nice?" said Kirby, scooting closer to the knight while looking at him with happy, shimmering blue eyes. Meta Knight backed away on instinct, not too happy about having his personal space intruded. _Why was this child so trusting and affectionate?_ he wondered. Especially to someone like him. That's going to get him killed someday. But he did suppose that it was nice to have company right now, to get a break from his own thoughts.

"I suppose," he conceded. Kirby noticed that he became a little less tense as he said those words, and he smiled even wider.

"You know, Dedede and I joked around a lot that the reason why you hate laziness so much is because you never tried it," Kirby said with a chuckle. "He said that even when times were peaceful, you were always training, or sparring, or patrolling. You never relax or even sleep until you pass out from exhaustion." Kirby looked down as he reflected upon the few times he had seen the knight, and noticed that he had always seemed busy and somewhat tired. "I'm willing to bet that even while you were missing, wherever you were, you spent the whole time fighting, right?"

Meta Knight's eyes flashed with surprise as he turned to look at Kirby. He didn't respond right away, but that gave Kirby all the answers he needed. 

"You are quite perceptive, for being so young," he said eventually, with a sigh. 

Kirby grinned. "That's not even the end of it," he said, a sinister glint in his eye. "I actually saw you fly in earlier today. I stopped by the Halberd, but the giant chicken" -Meta stifled a chuckle at that- "wouldn't let me see you. Said you were out like a rock. He figured you'd be exhausted after being stranded for a couple of weeks."

The older puff froze. Kirby had seen right through his lie, hadn't he? Kirby noticed him tense up, and smiled softly. "It's ok. You don't have to tell me where you really went."

"Meta, after I jumped off the deck of the Halberd, I landed on a cliff next to the ocean. I looked for you, to see if you made it. The closer the ship got to the water, the more...sad, and scared I got." The grin slowly faded from his face. "I wanted you to make it. I didn't want your last moments to be you, all stressed and angry. After you helped me out with Nightmare, I didn't want to remember you as…" Kirby's words trailed off as he thought back to the last time he saw the knight; how his wings sprouted from his cape, trembling in rage. He remembered the terrifying sound they made as they flapped all around him, and how he didn't dare look at the knight as he chased him, keeping his eyes forward and focusing only on not falling off his Wheelie as he was pummeled mercilessly with attacks. That was the first time he'd seen them, and he'd thought that they looked like the wings of…

"...a monster…" he finished. He looked at Meta to gauge any sort of reaction from the knight, but his eyes only dimmed slightly and he remained silent.

"But just before the ship hit the water," Kirby continued, "I saw you fly away. I was relieved, and a little scared because I thought you were gonna come finish me off...but you just kept going up and up. A-and then, you were gone for a while, and I was j-just so worried..." Kirby's voice began to break as he tried to hold back his tears, to no success. "I was beginning to think th-that I probably just imagined you escaping and y-you actually..."

"Kirby..." Meta Knight said softly. He couldn't understand why, but it absolutely broke his heart to see the normally carefree Kirby cry like that.

"I...thought I killed you..." he said through a restrained sob. He felt a little embarrassed that he started to cry, the weeks of uncertainty and guilt finally catching up to him. He squeezed his eyes shut which allowed his tears to finally fall, and sobbed quietly.

Meta Knight wasn't quite sure what to do. People never tended to cry around him, except for Sailor Dee, but he'd been around the waddle dee for long enough to know how to comfort him. "Please, don't cry," he said, knowing that those words are basically useless, but what else could he say? Hearing that even Kirby had seen him as a monster felt like someone had twisted the knife that he already felt in his soul. How could he not though, after he had tried to bring him down with the ship?

"I'm so sorry, for everything...from the bottom of my heart," he continued. "I'm right here. You didn't kill me," he said, placing a hand on what could be considered the puff's shoulder. He knelt down so that he was at eye level with Kirby, who's eyes were sparkling with tears. He found that he couldn't meet his gaze. "I do not deserve your tears..." he murmured, looking down.

Before Meta could react, Kirby rushed forward into a hug. "I'm sorry, too..." he said, but Meta Knight couldn't figure out what he was sorry for. The smaller puff shook in his arms as he cried, and he could feel his cape, still wrapped around him, begin to get wet with tears. This was far out of his comfort zone, but he allowed Kirby to release whatever emotions that he'd been building up for the past couple of weeks. He still couldn't understand why the younger puff was so upset about the idea of him dying. If anything, the world would be a hell of a lot safer with him gone. The word "monster" once again started echoing around in his mind.

"Kirby..." he said, once the puff's crying had started to slow down. Kirby wiped his eyes, still sniffling a bit, and looked up at him in response. "You said that you didn't want to remember me as a monster...but what if-" his voice stalled as a lump formed in his throat. What is this? _Am I about to cry?_ he thought in a panic. He suppressed the shakiness in his voice as best he could, and carried on.

"W-what if I-"

"Nope," Kirby interrupted. He wouldn't let him finish that sentence. "I don't care what you did in the past. Starting now, you're my friend, no matter what." He took a step back from the knight and looked at him, determination shining in his eyes.

"Meta...let's protect Dreamland, _together!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhh sorry it took so long to get this update out, school has been kicking my ass lately! But this chapter's kinda long, so I hope that makes up for it! Hope you enjoyed!


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